“Islam in America: young members of this ethnically diverse community are trying to forge their own identity in the post-9/11 world”; Patricia Smith, New York Times, January 9, 2006. Since 9/11, American Muslims have reported a rise in anti-Muslim feelings. In some cases, this has included violence directed against individuals or mosques. "Islam in America" takes a took at Muslims in the U.S., with a focus on young people who in many ways share the hopes and dreams of all young Americans. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

“Choosing Islam: My Life As A Convert”, Sandra Marquez, People, September 4, 2006. A growing number of American women find a safe haven by embracing an ancient faith. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

"Arab and Muslim America: A Snapshot", Shibley Telhami. The Brookings Review, Winter 2002. The author describes a difference of being an Arab and being a Muslim in America. He details prejudices and misunderstanding towards Muslims and Arabs after the wake of September 11 attacks. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

"Divergent Perspectives on Islam in America", Samory Rashid. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, April 2000. Rashid attempts to clarify public images of the phenomenon of Islam and African Americans by delineating its intellectual, cultural, and political milieu and by discussing the effects of anti-Muslim bigotry embedded in the language and culture. This delineation, it is hoped, will lay the foundation for a more accurate portrayal of the phenomenon of global Islam in the US. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

"Dress and Diversity: Muslim Women and Islamic Dress in an Immigrant/Minority Contexts", Hollie Kopp. The Muslim World, Spring 2002. Kopp discusses some of the ways American Muslim women in the US feel about Islamic dress, the reasons for their own choice of dress, and the importance of Islamic dress generally in the formation of local Muslim communities. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

"Expanding Horizons for American Muslims", Greg Noakes. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 1995. American Muslims of all backgrounds now find themselves ready to expand their horizons, tackling larger issues and striving to make a difference within American and Canadian societies at large. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

"Faces of American Islam", Daniel Pipes and Khalid Duran. Policy Review, August/September 2002. Pipes and Duran discuss just one portion of Western Islam, namely those Muslims who live in the US and who are either immigrants or their descendants. Unlike the Muslim immigrants in Europe who live in ghetto-like areas, Muslim immigrants to the US are highly dispersed. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC)

"Hybrid Identity Formations in Muslim America: The Case of American Sufi Movements", Marcia Hermansen. The Muslim World, Spring 2000. Hermansen provides an overview of major groups involved in Sufi movements in America and discusses their history and their activities. She contends that these movements are worthy of attention and that their impact in terms of both the Muslim community and American culture is significant and increasing. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC

“The Islamic reformation has begun”; Asra Q. Nomani, Sojourners, January 1, 2006. Reza Aslan, a Tehran-born Muslim, joined his high school's Young Life group to become a Christian, then got kicked out. Now he's one of the top spokespersons for progressive Islam in America; Biography. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

“Religious Protection; Spencer Ackerman”, The New Republic, December 12, 2005. Why American Muslims haven't turned to terrorism. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

"Islam in the United States", Gerald A. Larue. The Humanist, March/April 2002. Larue discusses the ways in which Islam as practiced in the US is very different from Islam as practiced by Osama bin Laden, a practice known as Wahhabi. Muslims in the US should not be forced to suffer because someone else has used the name of their religion to condone acts of violence. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC)

"Mosques, Collective Identity, and Gender Differences Among Arab American Muslims". Amaney Jamal. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, Winter 2005. Immigrant women face a host of obstacles that pose serious difficulties for mainstream political participation in the US. Here, Jamal argues that the differences in political engagement among Arab Muslim men and women are not solely constructed by factors specific to gender per se; rather, they are mediated by specific patterns of civic engagement and involvement in the US. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC)

"Muslim in America", Diane L Eck. The Christian Century, June 6 - 13, 2001. Dawub Tauhdi, founder and principal of the Crescent Academy International in a suburb of Detroit, is a Euro-American convert to Islam with a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the University of Michigan. Tauhidi describes how the school began. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC)

"Muslims in America", Zaheer Uddin. The World & I, March 2002. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, especially in the United States. Muslims are now live in every part of the United States, adding greatly to the American mosaic. (Available through Ebsco Host database; request copy from IRC)

"Muslim Women Find a Voice in Magazine", Tracy Landers. King County Journal, August 4, 2002. Marlina Soerakoesoemah, the creative producer of Azizah, the nation's only magazine written for and by Muslim women, is profiled. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

"Muslim Women Meet the Challenge in U.S. Government Positions", Delinda C. Hanley. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May 31, 2000. Profiles of two dynamic Muslim women who work in the U.S. government: Angela D. Williams, then the deputy director of the American Cultural Center in Damascus, Syria; and Rashidah A. Hasan, a police officer in Philadelphia, PA. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

"Religion-Media: Azizah Celebrates Muslim American Women", Rebecca G. Dorr. Global Information Network, April 4, 2003. Azizah, loosely translates from Arabic to English as "daringness, strength and nobility," was entering its third year of quarterly publication. Taylor, the founder and visionary behind the title, hopes it will counter stereotypes. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

"Soul Survival: The Road to American Muslim Political Empowerment", Abdullah A Al-Arian. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 2004. Al-Arian discusses the political empowerment of American Muslims. After the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. (Available through ProQuest database; request copy from IRC)

“A Magazine of Their Own”; Lorraine Ali, Newsweek, May 27, 2002. A new quarterly catering to Muslim women debuts. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

“Women and the Masjid; How To Maintain a Balanced Approach Concerning Evolving Practices of the Muslim American Community”; M. Safi., Louay. Islamic Horizons, May, 2005 - June, 2005. THE MASJID, better known in North America as the Islamic center, is the community's center of spiritual, social, educational, and, most recently, political activities. (Available through Lexis database; request copy from IRC)

“Arabs, Muslims, and America, Post-September 11”, Featuring H.R.H. Prince Hassan bin Talal. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Soref Symposium 2002 . Washington Institute. At the turn of the century, terrorism emerged as a formidable threat to civil societies, casting its long shadow over the present reality and the vision of years to come. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC07.php?CID=108">http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC07.php?CID=108">http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC07.php?CID=108

Recommended Web Sites

The American Muslim
http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/index.cfm
An online publication dedicated to the promotion of peace, justice, and reconciliation for all humanity.

Azizah Magazine
http://www.azizahmagazine.com/
An online version of "a unique publication that presents the issues, accomplishments, and the interests of Muslim women in North America.

Collections & Stories of American Muslims Inc. (CSAM)
http://www.muslimsinamerica.org/
CSAM was created in 1996 as a non-profit organization to establish an Islamic museum, traveling exhibition, and archives in the United States. The exhibition reflects America’s Islamic history and culture dating back to 1600's and 1900's and more.

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
http://www.cair-net.org/
CAIR is a non-profit, grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. It is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, with regional offices nationwide and in Canada. The national headquarters is located on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Islam in America: National Ad Campaign
http://www.americanmuslims.info/
Launched by CAIR, this year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign is designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States. The weekly ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, will be distributed to Muslim communities around America for placement in local newspapers.

Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA)
http://www.nccc.thaigov.net/nccc/1.php
IANA's goals are to unify and coordinate the efforts of the different dawah oriented organizations in North America and guide or direct the Muslims to adhere to the proper Islamic methodology; and to preach the correct knowledge of Islam, built upon the Book of Allah and the authentic sunnah, and assist its dissemination among Muslim Americans and immigrants.

The Muslim Women's League (MWL)
http://www.mwlusa.org
MWL is a non-profit Muslim American organization working to implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal and vital contributors to society.

The Muslim American Society (MAS)
http://www.masnet.org
MAS is a charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational, not-for-profit organization. It is a pioneering Islamic organization, an Islamic revival, and reform movement that uplifts the individual, family, and society.

US Department of State International Information Program: Muslim Life in America
http://www.america.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/
An electronic publication which provides a brief introduction to a complex subject, an attempt to explore in words and images the extraordinary range and richness of the way American Muslims live. Also available in Arabic.

USINFO, Department of State

Muslims Integrating and Finding Acceptance in American Society.
By Tim Receveur. Washington File Staff Writer, USINFO, Washington File, September 7, 2005
http://www.america.gov/eur/Archive/2005/Sep/07-600416.html
Ihsan Alkhatib a Michigan lawyer who is deeply involved in civil rights issues, believes that the U.S. government’s policy of tolerance and acceptance is largely responsible for the successful integration of Arab Americans and Muslims into American society.

Young Muslims Work To Improve Muslim-Western Understanding.
By Judy Aita. Washington File Staff Writer, USINFO, Washington File, June 21, 2006
http://www.america.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=June&x=20060621122425ndyblehs0.7335169
The American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) and the Cordoba Initiative convened on the "Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow" forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, July 7 to July 9 for young Muslims from Australia, Canada, Belgium, Bosnia, Denmark, are among others, The forum hopes to build a constructive movement of young Muslims to reject and marginalize extremism and foster positive Muslim identities in the West.


Americans Accept Muslims, Interested in Islam, Student Says.
By Michelle Austein, Washington File Staff Writer, USINFO,Washington File, July 25, 2006
http://www.america.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=July&x=20060725143310hmnietsua2.369326e-02
USINFO webchat with Arabic student looks at lives of Muslims in America...Not only are Americans generally accepting of Muslims, many are interested in learning about Islamic traditions, said Muslim-American Kareema Dauod in a USINFO Webchat on July 25.

American Muslims Support Political Participation, Study Shows.
USINFO,Washington File, April 7, 2004
http://www.america.gov/dhr/Archive/2004/Apr/08-483391.html
A study of American Muslims shows that even the most traditional of the group believe they should participate in U.S. politics and civil rights is identified as most important issue.

Arab-Americans, American Muslims Pump up Political Influence. By Elizabeth Kelleher, Washington File Writer, USINFO,Washington File, September 2, 2004
http://www.america.gov/dhr/Archive/2004/Sep/03-181769.html
In 2004, Arab-Americans and American Muslims were expected to deliver more votes to candidates, contribute more money to them, and attract closer attention from them than ever before. Their contributions to Political Action Committees are rising and positive too.